Launchable missile having a tail unit

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a launchable missile having a tail unit and including at least two guidewings symmetrically disposed with respect to the longitudinal axis of the missile which are unfoldable upon launching, locked into an unfolded position by means of a torsion spring and pivoted on an axle located on the rear part of the missile, the torsion spring having a coil and two arms, one arm of the torsion spring abutting the body of the missile and the other arm abutting the guidewings.

United States Patent Grosswendt Nov. 11, I975 LAUNCHABLE MISSILE HAVINGA TAIL UNIT [75] Inventor: Werner Grosswendt, Angermund,

' Germany [73] Assignee: Rheinmetall G.m.b.H., Dusseldorf,

Germany [22] Filed: July 29, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 492,875

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Aug 24. I973 Germany 2342783 52us. Cl. 244/328 [51] Int. Cl. F42B 13/32 [58] Field of Search 244/327,3.28, 3.29

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1.879.840 9/1932 Brandt244/329 X Jasse 244/329 Rusbach 244/327 Primary E.\wninerVerlin R.Pendegrass Altar/Icy, Agent, or FirnIErnest G. Montague; Karl F. Ross;Herbert Dubno [57] ABSTRACT 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 2b Lb US. PatentNov. 11, 1975 Sheet 1 of2 3,918,664

6 8d 108G 8b 4 I I/ l FIG.1

U.S. Patent Nov. 11, 1975 Sheet 2 of2 3,918,664

FIG.3

LAUNCHABLE MISSILE HAVING A TAIL UNIT SPECIFICATION 1. Field of theInvention My invention relates to a launchable missile having a tailunit and at least two unfoldable guidewings for locking the latter intoan unfolded position upon launching.

2. Background of the Invention Missiles of known types use eitherguidewings which are not locked in the unfolded position and aretherefore easily manufacturableas, for example, described in DT-OS 2.059.951, or else have a tail unit constructed with complicated openingand locking systems of a type actuated by spring or gas pressure andusing additional locking sliders, members or the like, and which aretherefore costly to manufacture.

3. Object of the Invention It is therefore an object of my invention toobtain a missile of low manufacturing cost having a tail unit whichcombines the simple construction features of knownmissiles not providedwith locking means for unfoldable guidewings and the functional featuresof missiles having such locking means.

4. Summary of the Invention My invention discloses a launchable missilehaving a tail unit including at least two guidewings symmetricallydisposed with respect to the longitudinal axis of the missile andunfoldable upon launching, the rear part of the missile being providedwith a pivot axle in the form of a bolt. The guidewings are pivotablearound that pivot axle, brought into an unfolded position and lockedtherein by means of a torsion spring wound around a torsion-spring axleformed with a coil and two bent arms, one arm abutting the body of themissile, the other arm abutting the guidewings. Each of the latter has aguidewing edge formed with a recess, one arm being locked into therecess upon unfolding of the guidewings. In an additional refinement twoparallel crosspieces formed with a groove extend from the rear part ofthe missile, one arm of the torsion spring resting in that groove.

5. Brief Description of the Drawing These and other features of myinvention will be better understood from the accompanying drawing inwhich:

FIG. 1 shows a fragmentary side-elevational view of the rear part of themissile with one guidewing in a folded position;

FIG. 2 shows a fragmentary cross-sectional in side elevation of the rearpart of the missile with one guidewing in an unfolded position; and

FIG. 3 shows a fragmentary elevational rear-view of part of the tailunit of the missile with the guidewings in an unfolded position.

6. Specific Description It will be seen from the drawings that themissile. which may be a self-propelled rocket or a wingstabilizedmissile, consists of a missile body 2 having a missile rear-portion 2a,to which there are attached crosspieces 2b, on which guidewing 4 of atail unit only shown partially in FIG. 3 are pivotable around a bolt 6.Guidewings 4 are unfolded by means of double-armed torsion springs 8;one arm 8a of the latter abuts in its folded position against aguidewing edge 4, while the other arm 8b abuts against crosspieces 2b ofmissile rear portion 2a. Coils 8d of torsion springs 8 are wrappedaround an axle 10 which is spaced apart from bolt 6, the latter forminga pivotable axis for guidewings 4. By means of this arrangement a beatend of arm 8a slides along a guidewing edge 4a during unfolding ofguidewings 4 until beat end 80 slides into a recess 4b and thus keepsguidewings 4 firmly in an unfolded position.

To prevent any sliding off of torsion springs 8 when mounted on themissile, ends 8e of arms 8b are bent to fit into a groove 20 formedbetween crosspieces 2b.

The unfolding and locking system described according to my inventionpermits a particularly simple form of construction of either a rocket orwing-stabilized missile, and is equally applicable for guidewingsunfoldable from front to rear or from rear to front, as well as forguidewings unfoldable in a raidal direction or within a plane, such as aplane tangential to the missile body.

I claim:

1. A launchable missile having a longitudinal axis and a tail unitincluding at least two guidewings symmetrically disposed with respect tosaid longitudinal axis and unfoldable upon launching, said missilehaving a body and a rear part provided with a pivot axle including atleast one double-armed torsion spring, said guidewings being pivotablearound said pivot axle, guided into an unfolded position and lockedtherein by means of said torsion spring, one arm of said torsion springabutting said body of saidmissile, the other arm of said torsion springabutting said guidewings, comprising a torsionspring axle mounted onsaid missile and spaced from said pivot axle, and wherein said torsionspring is formed with a coil mounted on said torsion-spring axle andeach of said guidewings has a guidewing edge formed with a recess, saidother arm having a bent end locked in said recess when said guidewingsare unfolded.

2. A missile as defined in claim 1 further comprising two parallelcrosspieces extending from said rear part and formed with a groove, andwherein said pivot axle is a bolt and said arms of said torsion springare disposed beyond said cross-pieces, said coil being wound around saidtorsion-spring axle, and wherein said one arm has a doubly bent endresting in said groove.

l l =i

1. A launchable missile having a longitudinal axis and a tail unitincluding at least two guidewings symmetrically disposed with respect tosaid longitudinal axis and unfoldable upon launching, said missilehaving a body and a rear part provided with a pivot axle including atleast one double-armed torsion spring, said guidewings being pivotablearound said pivot axle, guided into an unfolded position and lockedtherein by means of said torsion spring, one arm of said torsion springabutting said body of said missile, the other arm of said torsion springabutting said guidewings, comprising a torsion-spring axle mounted onsaid missile and spaced from said pivot axle, and wherein said torsionspring is formed with a coil mounted on said torsion-spring axle andeach of said guidewings has a guidewing edge formed with a recess, saidother arm having a bent end locked in said recess when said guidewingsare unfolded.
 2. A missile as defined in claim 1 further comprising twoparallel crosspieces extending from said rear part and formed with agroove, and wherein said pivot axle is a bolt and said arms of saidtorsion spring are disposed beyond said cross-pieces, said coil beingwound around said torsion-spring axle, and wherein said one arm has adoubly bent end resting in said groove.